Cell culture apparatus and cell culture method

Abstract

A cell culture apparatus is provided, including a storage tank including one or a plurality of cell culture units, in which the cell culture unit includes a culture chamber having an inner surface-side space in which a culture solution is stored, a permeable membrane having a first surface to which cells are adherable and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface facing the inner surface-side space, a culture solution storage chamber that stores the culture solution, a culture solution introduction flow path that introduces the culture solution in the culture solution storage chamber to the inner surface-side space, and a culture solution discharge flow path that sends, to the culture solution storage chamber, the culture solution which permeates through the membrane from the inner surface-side space and flows into an outer surface-side space that the second surface of the membrane faces.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cell culture apparatus, comprising:
 a storage tank including one or a plurality of cell culture units, 
 wherein the cell culture unit includes
 a culture chamber having an inner surface-side space in which a culture solution is stored, 
 a permeable membrane having a first surface to which cells are adherable and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface facing the inner surface-side space, 
 a culture solution storage chamber that stores the culture solution, 
 a culture solution introduction flow path that introduces the culture solution in the culture solution storage chamber to the inner surface-side space, wherein the culture solution introduction flow path is connected at a first end to the culture solution storage chamber and at a second end to the culture chamber inner surface-side space, 
 a culture solution discharge flow path that sends, to the culture solution storage chamber, the culture solution which permeates through the membrane from the inner surface-side space and flows into an outer surface-side space that the second surface of the membrane faces, wherein the culture solution discharge flow path is connected at a first end to the culture chamber outer surface-side space and at a second end to the culture solution storage chamber, and 
 a bypass flow path that introduces the culture solution in the inner surface-side space to the culture solution discharge flow path without passing through the membrane, wherein the bypass flow path is connected at a bottom portion of the culture chamber and at the culture solution discharge flow path. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a backflow prevention mechanism that regulates a flow of the culture solution reverse to a circulation flow of the culture solution returning back to the culture solution storage chamber from the culture solution storage chamber via the inner surface-side space and the outer surface-side space. 
 
     
     
       3. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the backflow prevention mechanism is provided in the culture solution introduction flow path. 
 
     
     
       4. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the backflow prevention mechanism is a Laplace valve that prevents a gas flow in a direction reverse to the circulation flow, 
 the Laplace valve is provided in the culture solution introduction flow path, and 
 an extension pipeline connected to the culture solution introduction flow path is provided in the culture chamber. 
 
     
     
       5. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the bypass flow path has a resistance flow path part of which a flow path sectional area is 1/10 or less of that of the other part in the bypass flow path. 
 
     
     
       6. The cell culture apparatus according to any  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage tank has the plurality of cell culture units, and 
 at least two of the culture chambers in the plurality of cell culture units or at least two of second culture solution storage chambers in the plurality of cell culture units communicate with each other so that gas is allowed to flow therethrough. 
 
     
     
       7. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the culture chamber and the culture solution storage chamber have vent holes through which gas is supplied to and discharged from the culture chamber and the culture solution storage chamber. 
 
     
     
       8. The cell culture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage tank includes:
 the plurality of cell culture units, and 
 a gas flow path that allows the plurality of cell culture units to communicate with each other, 
 
 the gas flow path is configured to circulate the culture solution between the plurality of cell culture units by simultaneously pressurizing insides of the plurality of cell culture units, and 
 the gas flow path is connected between at least two of the culture chambers of the plurality of cell culture units.